FAQs

Why does The Mandt System® keep on talking about “restraint free environments” but still teach the use of restraint?
The term “restraint free” describes a goal, a dream, the way things should be. Without a dream, there is no movement from what we now experience towards the goals we want to achieve. We truly and seriously want to help organizations provide training that empowers people to get so good at non-physical interventions and preventions that physical interventions become a thing of the past. But until we get there, we need to teach a way of using physical interventions which maximizes safety and minimizes risk. If people do not know what to do when there is a high risk of harm, their fear will take over and then they may do things that result in even greater harm and injury.

Why is The Mandt System® certification program 4 days plus an on-line component?
We can not tell you why other programs may not be as lengthy or maybe longer in some cases than our program. We can tell you that we looked at standards of training in various state and federal legislation both in the US and Canada, and the material taught in The Mandt System®, at a minimum, meets all of the training standards in the Children’s Health Act of 2000, Parts H and I (Public Law 106-310, U.S. federal law), the Developmental Services Act, Regulation 272, Part VI (Ontario, Canada), as well as standards developed by organizations such as the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO), the Council on Accreditation (COA), CARF, the American Correctional Association (ACA), and all known state regulations. A 4 full days of in-person training from 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Thursday plus the Conceptual Skills are completed on-line after the in-person training. is the only way we could provide this comprehensive learning program. Under the guidelines of The Mandt System®, the agency staff instruction can be adjusted to the needs of the agency.

Why does The Mandt System® change the manuals and update instruction so often?
In order to keep people as safe as possible. The term “Practice Based Evidence” means that organizations such as ours have to show evidence that what we teach is effective in maintaining the safety of all people. In addition to collecting data about restraint use, we also look at data about non-physical interventions that are effective, and incorporate that information into our program. We also know that it is difficult to respond to all the expectations people face as they deliver services and supports in education, developmental disability, mental health, correctional, substance abuse, and other settings that use our programs. The fact, however, is that in all these settings changes are made frequently based on new information. At The Mandt System® we review our material every 4 years as we research and review the latest standards and regulations.

Are there e-learning options?
Yes, The Mandt System has Blended e-Learning for new students. This is a combination of on-line and in-person training. We also have on-line recertification available for students who have been certified in-person or Blended e-Learning with Relational in-person component twice. Click here to read more.

Does The Mandt System® teach restraint on the floor?
The Mandt System® does not teach any type of floor restraints. Several years ago Mr. Mandt wanted to discontinue teaching floor restraints as part of our training. However, facilities and agencies mandated the continuation of floor restraint or they would discontinue using The Mandt System®. In 1998 The Harford Courant did an investigative report titled Deadly Restraint documenting the high number of deaths, which occur on the floor (estimated by the General Accounting Office at 150 per year). This gave ample justification to remove floor restraints from our training. However, in the Advanced Training option we do address how to respond to situations in which staff find themselves on the floor with a person they are serving, and how to keep themselves and others safe. As of December 2011 a total of 19 states have either prohibited or severely restricted the use of floor restraints across a wide spectrum of settings.

The Mandt System® used to be used primarily in service settings for people affected by developmental disabilities. Is the program applicable to other settings? Answer: Yes, absolutely. The Mandt System® has and is being used in settings that serve people whose needs vary, but whose common denominator is this: people are paid to provide services to other people. Our programs are being used in regular education as well as special education, colleges, psychiatric centers, residential treatment centers, small community based programs and large facility based programs. We are not phasing anything out, we are merely emphasizing the commonalities we all share as human beings, and helping you adapt specific principles to your unique settings. In fact we have added a number of other programs and are currently working on others.

Why do you require instructors to renew certification every two years?
More and more federal and state regulations as well as accreditation standards are emphasizing “competency based training.” In order to ensure competency over time, we feel it is necessary to assess and upgrade the skills of trainers on a regular basis. We have utilized this competency based training approach since 1975.

What do you charge for the training curriculum, student manuals, and other teaching materials?
Our single charge for trainer certification and re-certification covers all costs of a trainer manual, student workbooks, PowerPoint slides, activities, and training drills. We do not charge for student manuals, we do not charge for any training done by certified instructors in their own facilities. Presentations are included in this cost which contains almost 200 slides which can be used by certified instructors as they teach the course. Videos containing the physical skills taught within the Mandt System is also included at no additional cost.

How do Mandt System® physical techniques differ from those taught by other programs?
We can not tell you how our techniques are different because we have not been certified in the techniques taught by other programs. We can tell you that none of our techniques utilize hyper-extension of joints, trigger points, pressure point or pain, techniques which keep a person off balance, forcing a person against a wall or into a chair, or forcing a person to the floor (i.e., take down techniques).

How long does it take to train staff in an organization once a person in the organization has been certified as an instructor in The Mandt System®?
The answer to this question very much depends upon the chapters being taught. The foundation of the Relational Level is the pre-requisite to all other chapters in The Mandt System®. In order for staff in an organization to be certified in The Mandt System® Relational, program staff must demonstrate 100% competency in the written test. We recommend that this be done in a one day or eight hour period. Organizations can choose which chapters they will teach from the Conceptual and Technical Levels. For staff to be certified at the Technical level, they must demonstrate 100% competence in all written and physical demonstration tests. We recommend that this be done in a second eight hour day. If certified instructors provide training in the Conceptual Level chapters as well, we recommend adding a third day to the instruction process. Since 2016 you have the option for your staff to take a portion of their Relational and Conceptual skills training on-line with a short in-person session to provide for the relational skills activities so instructors can ensure the on-line training is applied. This is our Blended Learning option.

Why does The Mandt System® require staff to pass at 100% competency? Other programs say they require 80% or 90% competency.
Again, we can not talk to standards set by other organizations. We believe that staff must have 100% competency at the time of testing because people experience skill drift or they will lose competence and skill over time. We have done audits where we have tested staff in organizations who were trained by certified instructors, and found an overall 82% competence level in testing. If we had a lower standard at the time of initial training, we believe the level of competence of staff three to six months after training would be even lower.

How long does certification last?
Instructors are certified to teach The Mandt System® for two years. People who are certified in organizations by certified instructors have a one year certification period.

Are you available for phone, video conference and e-mail consultation after training?
Yes. There is never any charge for phone consultation, video conference or e-mail consultation. We do provide on-site consultation, and a fee is negotiated with the organization for these consultation services.

How does The Mandt System® teach de-escalation skills?
In the Relational, Conceptual, Technical level training programs five out of the nine chapters teach specific non-physical skills to assist and support people to de-escalate from wherever they are in The Crisis Cycle. The chapters include specific verbal and non-verbal communication skills, conflict resolution skills, and a chapter on Positive Behavior Support as a specific way of helping people to achieve the goals of their behavior in ways that do not harm themselves and/or others.

Where is The Mandt System Accredited?
IACET is known as the premier standard-setting organization for continuing education and training providers. From the original 10 Criteria developed by the task force, the standards have evolved into criteria with guidelines that have become the basis of their accreditation standards.In 2006, IACET was approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a Standards Developer. The set of IACET Standard that were developed as a result were approved by ANSI on October 5, 2007. What was formerly IACET Criteria & Guidelines is now ANSI/IACET 1-2007 StandardIn addition to this effort, IACET is part of the U.S. delegation to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) TC232 group which is developing a set of international ISO standards.The Mandt System® as an IACET member is dedicated to quality continuing education and training. We are pleased to provide a group of educational professionalsThe Mandt System® is an IACET Authorized Provider which:

Provides CEUs to people completing all Mandt System® training

Promotes quality and consistency in continuing education and training;

Reviews educational processes used by organizations, not the content of activities, courses, or program;

Recognizes and Monitors providers against established ANSI/IACET Standards.

What is the purpose of the IACET CEU?The primary purpose of the CEU is to provide a permanent record of the educational accomplishments of an individual who has completed one or more significant non-credit educational experiences. Awarding the IACET CEU also provides a quality indicator for your continuing education and training programs because it means that you have been reviewed and approved as complying with internationally recognized standards.

How is the IACET Continuing Education Unit (CEU) awarded?
The IACET CEU may be awarded only by organizations that have been reviewed and approved as Authorized Providers. (The ANSI/IACET Standards and Authorized Provider application can be downloaded at www.iacet.org.) Note that awarding the IACET CEU requires that a record be established for each individual to whom CEUs are awarded and that a transcript of that record be made available to participants upon request.

How many IACET CEUs can be awarded for a learning activity?
One CEU is awarded for every 10 contact hours (60 minutes) of instruction in a planned learning activity. Instructional hours do not include time involved in coffee breaks, meals, social activities, or business and committee meetings.

Who accepts IACET CEUs?Just like college credits that are given at one university and transferred to another, any organization has the right to accept or reject IACET CEUs. IACET is a well-known organization that is recognized as upholding standards of excellence when it comes to continuing education, and therefore many organizations will accept IACET CEUs. If you are concerned about whether particular organizations or associations will accept IACET CEUs, we recommend that you contact them directly.

Can you tell me which colleges accept the IACET CEUs?CEUs are different from college credits; thus, IACET cannot assure you that they are accepted by any specific organization. CEUs were originally designed for professionals who had already attained a certain level of education and needed to take a certain amount of continuing education and training per year to renew their license or certification—such as engineers, nurses and other health-care-related professionals, teachers, early childhood educators, human resource professionals, etc. Most colleges will not directly accept CEUs for college or graduate credit. However, some colleges and universities will look at an individual’s portfolio that includes work experience and continuing education and training offerings (measured by CEUs). The Council on Adult and Experiential Learning helps universities set up programs to turn work experience and continuing education and training activities into college credits, and it may have a list of institutions that have such programs. Also, the American College Advisory Service helps individuals turn CEUs into undergraduate and graduate credit for a fee.

Does The Mandt System® address any of the legal issues facing people involved in human services?
Yes, we have a chapter in the Conceptual Level program that addresses Liability and Legal Issues. The author of this program is an Expert Witness on the topic of restraint use and frequently works with the U.S. Department of Justice.